A “Top Gun: Maverick” flight instructor’s final moments before he plunged to his death in a crash at a New Mexico air show have been captured on video.
Footage taken by spectator Terre Blevins shows the aircraft flown by Charles “Chuck” Coleman spiraling downward on Sunday before slamming into the ground at the Las Cruces International Airport. Coleman was participating in an acrobatics performance at the Las Cruces Air and Space Expo.
“It was this big puff of dirt,” Blevins told The Las Cruces Bulletin while recounting the crash, “and then I looked at the security guard next to me. I’m like, ‘Did he crash?’ And she just took off running.”
An announcer in the video could be heard telling spectators immediately following the crash to “please stay off” social media and that emergency crews were responding to the scene.
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Coleman’s website says he was a “flight instructor with over 10,000 hours total flight time” and “flew 140 flights in order to prepare the actors to fly in Navy F-18 Hornets” in the movie “Top Gun: Maverick.”
“Chuck was our aerobatics flight instructor and instrumental in our preparation for Top Gun: Maverick. He was an aerospace engineer, air show and test pilot, and our friend and ally,” Miles Teller, one of the stars of the film who played the role of Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, wrote on X.
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“Chuck had a very easygoing way about him and we always felt comfortable with his expertise at our disposal. He was kind, humble and curious about others and the world we live in,” Teller added. “Gone too soon but his contributions will live on forever. Thanks for the memories, Chuck.”
The National Transportation Safety Board told KFOX 14 that it is investigating the crash of the Extra Flugzeugbau GMBH EA 300/L airplane, which happened around 2:30 p.m. local time on Sunday.
“Unfortunately, we had a tragic ending to our Air and Space Expo this weekend,” Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez was quoted as saying Monday. “We would like to extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones and fans of Chuck Coleman.”
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